


Konoha Kakes

by hoepai



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Gay, M/M, One-Sided Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, One-sided Uzumaki Naruto/Haruno Sakura, Pretend Engagement just for free cakes, Pretend Wedding!AU, Slow Build, its all TEMPORARY though SNS is the main, smut probably involves cake
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-12-31 13:23:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12133419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoepai/pseuds/hoepai
Summary: “Of course, my dear fiance. I had nearly forgotten!” Naruto said loudly, playing along just fine. He broke out into a grin, possibly priding himself at how easy their means of communication grew to be, or possibly out of pure habit, but most probably just in sheer mischief."AKA: Naruto and Sasuke pretend to be engaged so Naruto could attend a free "engaged-couples only" cake session with the owner of "Konoha Kakes" that he supposedly has a crush on. Too bad Naruto didn't think far ahead enough into the plan for him to realize where his feelings TRULY lay.





	Konoha Kakes

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first serious fanfic I've written and posted so please bare with me. :)

Sunday, April 9th // Now 

 

“Close your mouth, you’re getting drool on the cake,” Sasuke said, browsing through the selection of cakes in front of him. His eyes glinted in genuine intent as the rest of his expression stayed relatively impartial.

“You say that like we’re actually _getting_ a cake,” Naruto said in confusion as he turned back to face his friend. In being made self aware of his hanging jaw, he fondled his jaw with a pout.

“ _Weren’t_ we?” Sasuke replied. There was a slight change of tone and a miniscule raise in his voice that would have otherwise been overlooked by anybody else, but Naruto knew Sasuke far too long for it to go past him so easily. The line itself was something Naruto couldn’t see Sasuke actually needing to ask in the first place. Sasuke was too confident and sure of himself for him to ask something like that genuinely; that alone was enough of a hint at l deeper.

Naruto’s face lit up after he took a theatrical second to realize just what Sasuke was saying. He mouthed a quick “oh!” at Sasuke’s general direction.

It was mostly theatrics at this point, and Sasuke knew it too. Naruto had long since lost his childhood oblivion, and somewhere along the way he had to stop pretending to habitually harbor such too. Though he certainly could be at times, he simply just _wasn’t_ that same dumb kid he used to be all those years ago _._ He’d matured naturally overtime. Yet he didn’t hold it against those who hadn’t just quite caught on yet.

Lucky for him, Sasuke seemed to understand Naruto without a single word. And _most_ of the time, that went both ways.

“Of course, _my dear fiance._ I had nearly forgotten!” Naruto said loudly, playing along just fine. He broke out into a grin, possibly priding himself at how easy their means of communication grew to be, _or_ possibly out of pure habit, but most probably just in sheer mischief.

-

Sasuke rose a brow. It was almost endearing how ecstatic Naruto seemed to be with this “genius” plan of his, just almost.  After a moment, Sasuke allowed his eyes to be followed by Naruto’s own as he gestured towards the approaching woman behind Naruto.  

“H-hi there!” she said. By just a quick glance at her, it was obvious that she was the owner of _Konoha Kakes,_ the bakery _._ She was sporting the classic (yet corny) chef outfit, had questionably light pink hair, and had a slim figure that reminded Sasuke too much of that phrase “never trust a skinny chef”, or something like that. He dismissed that train of thought immediately though, seemed too much like something Naruto would say.

“Have you two been here before?” The woman said and Naruto nodded his head a little too enthusiastically in reply. The way the woman began fiddling with her hair with a twitch in her fingers was making her almost as transparent as Naruto. Plus, there was her stutter. Another obvious sign of shyness.

Sasuke frowned. The “remarkably confident” and “total powerhouse” of a girl that Naruto made her out to be in his long recollections of their meetings was nowhere to be found. Sasuke humored the idea of asking Naruto: “Is _this_ her?” in a mockingly exaggerated and incredulous manner, but one simple glance at the blonde and the answer was made crystal. And by the looks of it, the chef looked a little smitten herself.

 

* * *

 

Wednesday, March 29th  // two weeks ago

 

“Sas’ _please_ ,”

“No.” he said.

Naruto pouted that same pout he always put on when they bickered. He let himself sink deeper in the plush of their shared red couch in partial-defeat.

“But she's so _cute,_ and in a totally empowered way too! Like she’s so confident it’s scary, like a fucking powerhouse, but she’s still _cute._ ” he rambled on. “I don't know, okay- I just admire her. So come on, Sasuke, please? Just this one time?” Naruto begged.

“Hn.” Sasuke said impassively issuing an automatic groan from Naruto. He threw a couch pillow at Sasuke because of his predictable response. Sasuke, in being the complete robot he was, dodged it in a perfunctory manner as he continued on as if nothing was thrown.

He sat opposite of Naruto, probably doing something important on damned that computer of his. Typing and clicking away and _not paying_ (enough) _attention to Naruto at all._ Naruto himself had half of his attention occupied with binging whatever current cheesy sitcom available on the television himself so he wasn’t really in a place to point fingers. But still.

“Hn.” Naruto parroted mockingly with only a quarter of any real heat behind it. He shut his mouth closed and refused to let Sasuke have the last words.

Despite their seemingly ceaseless bickering, it was all comfortable bickering nonetheless. They were used to this after all. At least once a week the two of them always found time to do something or _nothing_ together on that red couch of theirs (that Naruto’s _certain_ is practically older than the both of them), just for the sake of being in each other's company.  It was something of a ritual now. The value of these “sessions” grew exponentially the busier their personal schedules got. They couldn't just waste every hour pointlessly lounging as if they were teenagers anymore.

It was nice how they could always fall back into something as comfortable as what they had. Their dynamic fit them together like magnets. Personally, Naruto was the type of guy who’d ask existential questions at a late night slumber party, and since he hardly had time for any of _those_ anymore, he took their “bro time” as time to just _talk_ with Sasuke. Just talk about whatever the fuck he wanted. And he _wanted_ something alright.

“Saaaaasssuke, _please._ ” Naruto repeated after a brief period of arrogantly refusing to talk. Now he didn’t giving a damn to just how he might sound.

Sasuke, _in being_ _the complete jerk he is_ , hadn’t said anything in reply this time around as he continued clicking away on his dear computer. _Fine then._  

The two of them sat in another moment of utter silence after that. Naruto’s pout grew more taut while the seconds ticked by as it became harder and harder to keep quiet. He closed his eyes. The only noise filling their apartment complex being his one and only saving grace: tv-provided sitcom one-liners. Although, quite frankly, Naruto was at his wits end; he couldn't help but break before the commercials had.

“I _always_ play wingman for you though!” Naruto pleaded. Suddenly sitting up straight and determined.

“And have I ever _asked_ for you to?” Sasuke said, quick and ready.

_Huh._

“That- That’s so not the point! I’ve always had your back when it came to romance, why can’t you do the same for me?” Naruto said, earning a  “deeper-than-usual” sigh from Sasuke.

“Are you that dense? It’s not _that_ simple, idiot. Have you even considered how flawed you little plan is?” Sasuke said. Naruto was given a moment to reflect and even possibly _think things through._ Sasuke probably thought it better to interrupt his thought process before Naruto’s rusted gears could overheat in his brain so he quickly spoke.

“What? Are you telling me that your go-to flirting tactic is _always_ to pretend you’re engaged to someone else?” he asked.

Naruto flinched inwardly. While the two of them were just old enough to keep from physically fighting (most of the time), Naruto still occasionally felt that same elementary desire to physically lash back out at Sasuke’s harsh words, no matter how completely logical they may be.

“That’s a… minor mishap? I mean, I don’t really have the money to constantly go to her bakery for a $50 scheduled cake tasting! But _engaged_ couples come in for _free_ every Sunday. This was the only _and_ the cheapest  way!” Naruto said, trying at being as reasonable as possible.  

-

Not that the topic of romance was considered taboo between the two of them, but Sasuke specifically hated the topic when it was shared with _Naruto._

‘This is the only way’ _, my ass._

Naruto always went above and beyond when it came to things like this. But something in his tone of voice sounded genuine, as if this wasn’t just another mere fleeting crush as a result of Naruto’s boredom. Naruto was being awfully persistent, _civil_ even _,_ but obnoxiously persistent nonetheless. He scoffed. Sasuke knew he must be at least a _little_ serious about this girl if Naruto was willing to be _reasonable_ with him.

“Who is this girl anyway.” Sasuke asked, knowing that Naruto would see the question as him giving the blonde a chance.

Naruto let his back fall back on the couch again in momentary bliss. _Theatrics,_ Sasuke reminded himself. He kept his eyes closed while his notorious sunshine-smile crept up his face. Sasuke felt his heart succumb to an oh-too-familiar fall in just watching.

“Her name is Sakura Haruno.”

 

* * *

 

Saturday, April 9th // Now

 

“Oh! Well, sorry, I guess I hadn’t remembered you from before, Naruto was it? And you…” she said quickly until her eyes landed back on Sasuke.

“Uchiha.” he said. His stare locked dead with her own as he offered nothing else but the name and a glare to the table. Not even the respect of a formal handshake. Naruto, of course, saw this interaction so he, of course, smiled nervously. Quickly panicking at Sasuke’s sudden stoicness, he instead settled on throwing his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders in a very brotherly manner.

“Oh come on, Sasuke! That’s no way to introduce yourself to such a cute lady!” Naruto said. He felt Sasuke’s body tense under his hold in response to his forced-positive proclamation. Naruto’s nervous smile was beginning to falter when he meekly decided to lean over so his mouth was closer to Sasuke’s ear.

 _“Play along.”_ Naruto whispered for just the two of them to hear. Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched as he pulled away.

“... _Sasuke_ Uchiha,” he said with a newly offered hand. Sakura took it skeptically but gladly and suddenly Naruto could breathe again. He looked back at Sasuke and was pleased to see that his face was back to its impartial self, though Naruto personally could detect his obvious signs of annoyance. His out of the blue defensiveness was just enough to keep Naruto away from commenting on how Sasuke had just introduced himself like James Bond. Leave it to Sasuke to turn something so taboo and cheesey into something _terrifying_.

“A pleasure, and oh- are you two…?” She said, letting the wordless question hang in the air. Naruto’s face froze.

 _Shit!_ She asked it now. _The dreaded question. Of_ course _she’d ask it! It was her_ job _to make sure that everybody who attended her cake shows were strictly couples, not just a couple of broke college guys who’re looking for some free cake!_ Naruto berated himself.

 _This isn't for the cake though!_ _It is for LOVE...or something like that._ Yeah. Something like that.

Naruto shook his head. He needed to calm down and answer the lingering unsaid question before things got too suspicious. _Okay, okay. They practiced this_. Naruto knew this was coming and he came prepared, one of the two of them just had to pass out cold on the ground as a distraction while the other promptly freaks and calls an am-

“Our budget is $2,000.” Sasuke said. Sakura and Naruto’s jaws dropped, all prior thoughts suddenly going out the window. It’s funny though, because Naruto could have sworn he saw all of their life earnings flying out of that same window.

-

Sakura huffed out a thing of laughter in near-disbelief until she properly rearranged herself to a more business-appropriate stance. Her bakery definitely wasn’t one of the big branded companies out there, not in the slightest. The main thing that separated her from her competition was how authentic and professionally experienced her style and recipes were. “Konaha Kakes” was something of an indie bakery, and Sakura felt pride in the name she’s built for herself. Plus, the fact that she was personally trained by _Lady Tsunade_ herself didn’t hurt her reputation much either. But _this? This_ was her first big-money costumer. _This_ was her shot.

“Oh, $2,000? So I take it that you’re looking for a four to five tier cake, right? Big wedding, huh?” Sakura said, keeping as appropriately casual as possible.

“Probably.” Sasuke replied, although not really confirming or denying anything. He made it obvious that he was disinterested in the conversation and the attempt at small talk.

Sakura would _not_ be having this type of shit from someone, but they were talking money here. ...And the fact that dark-haired cold man was incredibly sexy also hadn’t helped Sakura’s situation. She cringed inwardly.

She wasn't about to claim Sasuke Uchiha as the ideal husband just yet, especially not with that attitude of his, but mainly because there was still a _big_ wedding-related question that was left unanswered.

Now surprisingly, there were a large number of _obviously NON-engaged_ punks who would show up to her free FOR ENGAGED COUPLES ONLY cake shows that she held weekly out of the goodness of her heart (and for easy advertising). For example, exhibit A: Konohamaru and his teenage “squad”. The three of them in the group were some of the most troubling “imposters” despite their intentions being evidently clear from the start. Hell, they _looked_ and _were_ only high school students after all, Sakura would have been stupid to think that they were all engaged, but somehow they kept finding their way back in.

However, now in the case of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura could only _hope_ that he was one of those “impersonating punks”.

She shrugged. Sakura had the mind to sense when people didn't want to share certain information, and judging by the way Sasuke had skirted around her question on his relationship with the other man, Sakura knew to keep off it (for now). Sasuke was still officially “off-bounds and engaged” until proved otherwise.

“Well, the show is running a little slow right now anyways. So if you don't mind, we can walk to the back and briefly discuss some more details,” she said, her trained smile as sweet as cakes themselves.

-

If Naruto thought he was nervous _before_ then he must be right about to pass out from anxiety right now. They completely dodged a bullet when Sasuke started talking big money, and Sasuke got on _his_ ass for not thinking things through two weeks ago? First of all, they didn’t _have_ that type of cash! Second of all, had Sasuke just _forgotten_ that they weren't ACTUALLY engaged?!?

Naruto had no idea what the hell type of cake he preferred! What did _they_ know about cakes? _Where the_ _hell did the number 2,000 even_ come _from?? Do they even_ make _cakes that expensive????_

Sasuke gave a sleek sideways glance at Naruto with confident eyes, relying (yet again) on their incredible ability to read each other. Not that anybody’s complaining about his tactics though. In fact, Naruto couldn’t stop his stirring stomach from stirring a bit less at that look, those eyes held a contagious calm.

“Do you have any specific cake dimensions in mind?” Sakura asked as the three of them walked towards the back.

“We were looking for an 18’’ base, and the smallest we’d prefer our top tier to be is 6’’” Sasuke said, and Naruto could feel his forgotten arm that was still slung around his housemate’s shoulder slack in ease.

 

* * *

 

Saturday, April 8th // yesterday

 

“Get off me, you’re heavy.”

“Not until you _promiiise_ you’re coming with me tomorrow!” Naruto whined. They were on the ground this time. The very ground right next to their ancient- but impossibly comfy- couch. They were back again for another one of their “bro time” sessions and Naruto was _still_ on about “Code: Konoha Kakes” (as he so dubbed it). He had been at it for two whole weeks now, but at least was smart enough to push Sasuke on it _every_ day. Especially not when it was something like this _._

Sasuke treated the very topic of “romance” as if it was something below him. He always dismissed any talk of it whenever Naruto’s hormones turned into words, eventually Naruto settled down on the possibility of Sasuke being _asexual._

As selfish as it was, it wasn’t _about_ Sasuke. The Cake Tasting was _tomorrow_ and Sasuke was still being as arrogant as ever. It shouldn’t have come to anybody’s surprise that Naruto had to resort to his last trump card: physical action.

“Move first,” Sasuke said. Sasuke shifted his leg slightly to knee him in the ribs, causing Naruto to groan. Despite Naruto’s attempts of laying on his housemate’s legs to keep him from moving until he proclaimed his complete compliance, Sasuke seemed to pay Naruto little to no attention.

It had been _two hours_ since Naruto took this position on Sasuke. At first he was simply pinning his legs down so Sasuke couldn’t get up, but then he figured out that Sasuke wasn’t going to get up anyways. Naruto _thought_ he could just wait it out, he even adjusted to a more comfortable position and all, but it was nearly _1 AM_ now. Yet, here _Sasuke_ was. Just kept doing whatever he was doing on that fucking computer of his….Damned computer, was _it_ Sasuke’s best friend now?

“Idiot, come on, my legs are falling asleep.” Sasuke urged him on, but not even sparing Naruto a glance away from his screen.

 _Sleep._ Naruto’s mind reminded him. _Did he say something about sleep?_

“Huh..?” Naruto murmured, stretching slightly. The hypnotic sound of Sasuke’s continuous typing kept Naruto at bay for a while. He raised his hands to rest under his head as he laid across Sasuke’s legs diagonally*** and thought about nothing in particular, momentarily forgetting his purpose.

“Hn.” Naruto said, but not without a small smile. He picked up the famous poor excuse of a reply of ‘hn’ from Sasuke as a _joke_ at first, but now he finds himself unconsciously grunting it every now and then. He doesn’t know why, but that fact alone made him happy.

Sasuke’s typing turned into staccato clicking until Naruto was utterly convinced that he was he could be a musician. There was no real rhythm or particular purposeful pattern in Sasuke’s typing and clicks, but it was melodic _enough_ to Naruto. It was comfortable. It was comfortable but it was dizzyingly warm at the same time.

 _Hah. Warm._ That was an almost comedic thought considering how _cold_ Sasuke could be. Naruto smiled at that, humoring himself as he felt up the heat radiating from Sasuke’s skin. _Cold, my ass._

It was only a short time after that that Naruto fell asleep on Sasuke.

Sasuke’s brows were stuck furrowed after straining for so long on his computer screen, but the sight of his slumbered housemate softened his expression immediately.

After a while he had gave into Naruto, not that “Sleeping Beauty” himself was awake to know it anyways. Sasuke set his computer gently to the side of him on the ground and stretched carefully. He had to readjust his seated position underneath Naruto into a more comfortable position before he allowed himself to just _stare._

Leaning over to hover above him for a while, Sasuke stayed completely still, blaming all but his beating heart for allowing himself to steal a glance for this long. Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation that slowed his mind just enough. Perhaps he needed more time to really process the person right in front of him… Perhaps this doesn't meant anything.

Sasuke frowned. He was no fool, and he definitely wasn’t a fool to himself. So he quickly scratched that last possibility from his mind and closed his eyes instead. That way it was easier. That way he didn’t _have_ to stare.

He stayed with his eyes closed for a while longer until he almost completely forgot where he was. Maybe it was time for him to get some sleep of his own.

He momentarily shook off his slumber to rearrange the area into a more suitable “bed”. When he was in the middle of gathering whatever pillows on the couch that were within arms’ reach he felt Naruto stir on top of him. Sasuke worried for moment that Naruto was having starting to have another nightmare, but Naruto’s face was too flushed and happy for that to be true. Frowning even deeper, Sasuke settled back down on the floor fully.

“...S...Sa-” Naruto mumbled in his sleep. Sasuke’s eyes widened. A quick wave of realization and foolish hopes caught his breath until he regained enough of a mind to let it go. There was no way Sasuke would stay awake to find out just _whose_ name he was calling. He had already been disappointed enough times for his lifetime.

In a sudden hurry, he quickly repositioned himself for sleep and glanced back at his computer one last time.

“Night.” He murmured, closing all of his research on _“Konoha Kakes”_ tabs.

 

* * *

 

Sunday, April 9th // Now

 

“Well we could definitely do cakes of that size! But that depends on how many people you intend on serving,” Sakura said.

“Around 230.” Sasuke readily rehearsed. Naruto was caught absolutely dumbfounded. _Was Sasuke pulling these numbers straight out of his ass?_ Naruto was left worried but trusting in Sasuke, he had to be. Naruto had a strange feeling that Sasuke somehow knew exactly what he was doing, which should really come with no surprise.

The three of them sat down and continued to look through a photobook of Konoha Kakes’ specialty cake designs and flavors. Time passed sweetly as Naruto pretended to have his attention focused on each of the photos with a smile on his face. Despite the rocky start, things were going _perfectly_ now. Then, as if on cue, Sasuke gave a discreet nod to Naruto before standing.

“One second, where’s your restroom?” Sasuke asked the chef. She quickly gave him directions as Naruto had trouble barely containing his excitement. Now the two of them could finally be alone together and hopefully Naruto could somehow find a way to break the barrier between them. It was truly unfortunate that that barrier had a giant neon sign reading “I’M ENGAGED” on it though. He was trapped in something way higher than the _friend zone._

“So,” Sakura started in an eager hushed tone. “Which one of you are getting married?” she asked. Naruto hesitated.

“Isn’t- Wasn’t this a cake testing for _engaged couples_?” Naruto asked incredulously. Sakura gave a partially nervous smile.

“Oh, but I’ve been doing this for far too long to not expect a couple of people who try to sneak in. It’s okay though, it’s practically harmless either way. I mean, if they end up buying a cake that is.” Sakura explained, but Naruto wasn’t ready to be too relieved yet.

“And what about me and Sas’? How’d you-”

“Well, telling from how much you two know about what type of cake you want, I can tell you two are going to buy a cake, but the way you two avoided my question about you two being engaged earlier was a little suspicious,” She said, her smile (thankfully) never fading. Now Naruto was allowed some space to sigh in relief. The barrier between them was easier to break than he thought.

“In that case, I have to admit: Sasuke and I are nowhere near engaged. But we are looking for a cake for… our friends’ wedding” Naruto said on the spot. He really hoped that that was believable enough for her to roll with it.

“Ah! That’s perfect, - _fine_ , I meant, that’s fine with me,” she said a little too quickly, losing her semi-professional composure for a moment there. “And so does that mean that you and Sasuke are, ah I hope you don’t mind me asking, but _single?_ ” she asked.

Naruto was stunned. _Was she really asking if they were SINGLE?_ This must have been his lucky day, he just wasn’t used to lucking out like this so he was left rendered completely speechless.

“I’m single!” Naruto said a little too eagerly. There was an awkward pause that barely flew past his head.

“...And your ‘fiance’?” Sakura asked, her smile faltering.

“Yeah, uh sorry, he- we’re both single,” Naruto stammered, half of him still in a stupor while the other half shrunk in embarrassment.

Before Sakura could muster up any type of response, Sasuke appeared back and approached the small seating area that Naruto and Sakura occupied. _Impeccable_ timing, really.

“Well, anyways. Where were we?” Sasuke pointedly asked. Sakura gave a questionably flustered look as if she’d been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing.

They continued to discuss the possible cakes as Naruto sat, basking in the bliss of success in actually wooing a girl.

“Perfect! Let me give you two my cards for now so I can go back to the show. Things get busy around this time,” She said with a smile. Naruto watched as she turned away towards the counter, grabbing two business cards and a pen. She clicked the pen purposefully and quickly took a moment to write something down. Once the chef returned to the two men, she handed them each a business card and a warm smile.

“Ah! Sakura wait!” Naruto interrupted, postponing their dreaded departure. Sakura tilted her head towards him.

“Can we schedule an official appointment with you first?” he asked and Sakura’s face lit up.

“Of course, I’m available for appointments on tuesday, wednesday, and friday this week.” She said in a practiced tone.

“Tuesday would be great!” Naruto said all smiley, eager to come back as soon as possible.

“Sounds good to me! Tuesday is my least busy day so I don’t mind. I’m practically open the whole day.” She said.

“3 PM, Tuesday it is then.” Sasuke concluded without much more debate or word from Naruto.

“Oh, and don’t worry about the appointment charges,” Sakura continued as Naruto almost fell to his knees to praise the heavens. “Our first meeting will be on the house as a show of appreciation towards such _incredible_ men.” she said. Her hand grazed over Sasuke’s arm purposely as she looked at him with full intent.

“Now, I hope to see you soon.” She said, parting. Before she turned fully she sent a wink in their direction, but Naruto was still a little too confused to tell who it was to.

-

Sasuke walked out of the sticky shop with Naruto following closely behind. His exhaustion bearing down on him as if physical weight lied on his shoulders. He was _exhausted._

Sighing in defeat to the hole he dug himself in, Sasuke glanced down at the business card in his hand. There was a slight ink smudge on his fingertips so he promptly flipped the card over to see what bled. It quickly became evident that Sakura had written in something a little extra for him. The overwhelming taste sweetness poisoned his tongue as Sasuke read in distaste.

 _‘390-xxx-xxx , Call me!’_ He read. The sloppily written phone number sat with the words ‘ _xoxo - Sakura_ ’ residing neatly beside it. A bold move which would have otherwise had a chance at being appreciated if it wasn’t played during such a toxic situation. Sasuke’s brow furrowed. _This was getting too messy._

Quickly masking his expression, he looked up to Naruto behind him. To his fear, though, it was clear that It was too late. Judging by Naruto’s face alone, he could tell that he’d seen Sasuke’s card too by now.

Sasuke, unknowing of what to do with the card, just continued to hold onto it tightly. He had no words to spare for the shitty situation, but he almost wished he had something to break the inevitable tension that he could feel rapidly increasing.

Nothing was said by Naruto as the only thing heard was the unmistakeable sound of Naruto’s own business card that lacked of any “extra note” crumpling in his hands.

-

Naruto wasn’t blind. No, but apparently _Sasuke_ was _._

He guesses that he was a little too late in realizing just how Sakura was all _over_ Sasuke from the moment he walked in. Naruto grimaced. Thoughts of jealousy and annoyance clouded his mind as he drove them home with white knuckles. He understood now. The whole spiel about their next free appointment and Sakura’s questions on their relationship status was all because of her attraction to _Sasuke._

For a fleeting moment, Naruto knew that he was overreacting. Hell, all his past rejections he had to deal with never got him _mad_ , so he had no idea why he was mad now. The only difference between this situation and all the other situations with these girls was the fact that now _Sasuke_ was involved. Naruto didn't know what any of that was supposed to mean.

Now Naruto knew he was driving a little too fast for anybody’s comfort but he _couldn’t help it._ The way she touched Sasuke so familiarly as if she’d known him for years (while in reality they were only there for two hours, tops!) bothered the _shit_ out of him. Images of their interactions overtook his sight of the road and messed with his head to no end. How did Sasuke earn her affection so quickly when Naruto’s been visiting the shop constantly for about two weeks? Plus!!! Didn’t she get that the two of them were _engaged??!_ Naruto scoffed in disbelief.

Some “fiancee” _Sasuke_ was. _Naruto_ was supposed to get the girl, not him! He cringed at his own thought process. He was being childish and he knew it, but he still didn’t know why he was so _mad._ Maybe next time he’d have the mind to bring someone else to play fiance for him, someone who wasn’t perfect like Sasuke, someone who wouldn’t unknowingly steal his chances.

“You’re mad at me.” Sasuke said like the _genius_ he was, voice slightly above the hushed radio. Naruto stepped on the gas harder at that. No, Sasuke was wrong. He wasn’t mad at Sasuke, it _wasn’t his fault._ Was he mad at Sakura? Did he have any right to be? Of course she’d be attracted to Sasuke, though, he was _magnetic._ He let out a huff of laughter at his own ironic hypocrisy.

“No. I’m just mad in general,” Naruto said, and it wasn’t far from the truth.

“Was she not the girl you made her out to be?” Sasuke asked calmly. The way Sasuke was being _reasonable_ and _perfect_ and _calm_ was not at all what he would have normally expected in a situation like this, and frankly, right now Naruto wasn’t in the _mood_ for changes. He _wanted_ Sasuke to get mad, he was speeding the hell on the freeway and all!

“No she’s- She’s _great._ Just... Just obviously too great for _me,_ ” Naruto grunted hoarsely.

“Hn. I can’t see why you’re so upset, you did get her number after all,” Sasuke said, and Naruto _understood_ . He _got_ that Sasuke wasn’t speaking with any real fire behind his words, he _knew_ that this was Sasuke’s odd way of cheering him up, but Sasuke was _such_ an _asshole._

“Did I really, though? Because I’m pretty sure the card with her number on it was for _you_ ,” He said pointedly.

Sasuke remained silent at that. There wasn’t much left to say, but Naruto didn’t feel quite done yet. Naruto felt an undying hatred bubble in the pit in his stomach, and although he wasn’t blind enough to misplace his hatred to Sasuke, he couldn’t help it. The road he sped on was starting to feel like a direct road back to their old their high school days. Back in the day when Naruto was convinced that Sasuke was just a spiky haired _asshat._ Back when they fought for no real reason at all. Back when they _hated_ each other.

They were passed that now, right? Weren’t they?

Naruto knew his level of anger wasn’t justified. He knew he was just being ridiculous. But on the other hand, he _felt_ ridiculous altogether. He barely remembered why he was mad in the first place now, all he remembered was that he was angry at Sasuke.

His arm strained against the wheel. Hell, a small reasonable part of Naruto’s mind countered his anger, reminding him of all the years _after_ it all. The years after their high school hatred. How those crucial years made up for all the prior years of hate; how those years made Sasuke his _closest friend._ He knew something of a platonic affection had grown between himself and Sasuke, But he couldn't quite bring himself to remember enough _._

“ _Naruto._ ” Sasuke said. His voice was calm with an edge of warning.

“Yes, _dearest?_ ” he spat. Naruto knew exactly what he was doing.

“Slow the fuck down before we’ll have to buy a _funeral_ cake,” Sasuke said. Naruto gave out a manically distressed huff of air.   _As if_ he’d be so compliant. He flashed a dangerous lopsided grin and stepped harder on the gas. They were going 90 on the freeway by now.

“Fuck! Naruto, stop!”Sasuke cursed, grabbing hold of the dashboard.

“Stop in the middle of the freeway? Sure.” Naruto said mockingly.

“You _know_ what I mean, Naruto!”

“ _Fuck_ , I do, don’t I? I fucking know what’s going on Sas’! I can tell! I can _fucking_ tell! The only way it’d be anymore obvious is if she was on your fucking lap.”

“ _What!?_ ” Sasuke asked incredulously. Somewhere along the way their voices raised almost as high as the tension and pure anger had. Naruto knew him well enough to know that he snapped.

“What the hell are you even spewing on about now? Is the fact that she’s not head-over-heels in love with you making you fucking suicidal or something?? Pull the fucking car over! ” Sasuke screamed. His usual calm composer was lost as the two of them practically yelled above each other.

Naruto narrowly missed hitting another car who was innocently going at a normal _legal_ speed (which was unfortunately too slow for his speeding bright orange car). Loud car honks surrounded and drifted past them as the possible consequences of his reckless driving flashed by his eyes.

“ _FUCK._ ” Naruto cursed. He slowed down aggressively until he was forced to exit the freeway on a random exit for the better of everyone. He needed to cool down before they ended up either dead from a crash or from killing each other.

“You Idiot! Might as well pull over completely, you’re in no position to posses a damn license, let alone in a position to be driving right now.” Sasuke said, only further goading him on. For once, Naruto did exactly what he asked. He stomped on the breaks as an unprepared Sasuke was pulled forward because of the harsh halt.

Naruto was done. There were no more words to be spared in Sasuke’s favor as Naruto could only grant him the sound of his seatbelt releasing. He opened his car door and promptly left without a word.

Naruto got about three steps in his leave before Sasuke started yelling out at him.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?!” Sasuke yelled. Naruto gave no response. He hadn’t turned to look at him nor had he even stopped walking away.

“Uzumaki!!” Sasuke called out again. _So they were even back to last names, weren’t they?_

“Don’t fucking walk away from me like some coward!” He taunted, as if knowing Naruto would fall for something like that (and he _did_ ) _._ Naruto swung back around to face his car and his housemate, eyes filled with a surprising amount of hatred and something of betrayal.

“ _Fuck_ off _._ I’m staying at Kiba’s tonight.” he spat. Naruto must have really set Sasuke off with that since all anger left his visage until nothing else was left except for _blank coldness._ All of his expressions and emotions suddenly shut off as steel walls surrounded his being. He hadn’t seen Sasuke this angry in years, the type of anger that boiled cold and deadly.

“If running away to sleep at your ex-boyfriend’s is what you think will solve all of this, then go ahead.” Sasuke said lowly, his voice calm. This sudden shift in attitude from Sasuke was utterly _terrifying_ to anyone who’s lived to experience it, but unfortunately for the both of them, Naruto lacked the patience to deal with that type of _shit._

“Oh fuck off, _Uchiha!_ Just because he’s my ex-boyfriend doesn’t automatically mean _you_ get to act like my fucking boyfriend now! I’ll go wherever I want!” Naruto yelled back at him, but Sasuke’s expression didn’t move an inch. He hated fighting with Sasuke when he was like this more than anything else. It was too much like they were freshman in highschool again, too much like when they genuinely hated each other.

Sasuke was acting like he hadn’t known Naruto at all. He was just so quick to put his defensive and untrusting walls back up as if Naruto hadn’t given everything to take them down, as if Naruto and Sasuke were strangers again.

“At least call a cab to your _fuck buddy’s_ then.” Sasuke said stoically, and Naruto wanted to scream. Instead, he had the mind to settle on letting out a series of distressed curses as he turned back around to stomp away, making sure to flip Sasuke off in the process.

 

* * *

 

Saturday, September 17 // 7 months ago

 

Naruto flipped him off with one hand and  clenched his own stomach with the other in uncontrollable laughter.

“ _A-Asshole!_ Don’t expect me to carry you home if you whisper that type of weird shit in my ear like that!” He said between laughs. Naruto nearly toppled over where they stood on the sidewalk, meaning Sasuke nearly toppled over as well. They had spent the entire night “emergency clubbing” (as Naruto so put it) and now had to push through a hazy walk home. Nevertheless, they were both drunk off their fucking asses.

“You’re drunk off your fucking ass” Sasuke told Naruto. Although he was drunk dead cold he still managed to slur his words less than Naruto.

“ _Me?_ ” Naruto asked incredulously in more bubbly laughter. His flamboyant hand motions made it hard for Sasuke to stay seated on his back.

“Who’s the one being piggybacked back to my apartment?” Naruto said. _He had a point, really._ Sasuke hadn’t allowed himself to get that drunk ever in his life, and he definitely never needed _Naruto_ to be the one to stop him from drinking, let alone be the one to carry him back to Naruto’s apartment. Sasuke pushed his eyebrows together.

“Idiot. I told you to take me back to my condo,” he said.

“And there you go all cranky again. Sas’, you _hate_ your condo, and, I know for a fact that you _love_ my red couch” Naruto pointed out, and it was all true. Sasuke hated his condo for the same reason they went “emergency clubbing” tonight. They both knew it too, even now in their drunken state.

Sasuke’s school, Sasuke’s condo, Sasuke’s car: all of which were paid by his father. A true blessing, really, but also a  bright neon sign reminding Sasuke of what was expected of him. A clear blinking sign that reminded him that he could never be what his father wanted him to be.

His father paid for him to go to school for business, his father had paid for all of the expenses that got in the way with his future, and all Sasuke had to do was _play along._ Sasuke had never wanted to take up _business_ , let alone the family one, but he was raised to think of nothing else. He had never even gotten the chance to explore his own interests or dreams, not even now as a freshmen in college.

They wanted him to be Itachi. They bought the same car model for him, they paid for him to go to the same school as Itachi, and they even paid for a fucking condo in the same complex that Itachi had lived in. Sasuke was raised in the darkness of his older brother’s shadow, and to this day he’s expected to live up to the very specific standards that Itachi had set.

He just _couldn’t_ though. Sasuke was very much his own person who had his own future to be found, but he knew that telling his father as much would be a pointless act. They’d all ask him what he planned to do _instead_ and Sasuke just hadn’t known _._ What _would_ he do if not pursue in what he spent his whole life planning for? If his heart wasn’t in the family business, then what _was_ his heart in?

“I have a headache” Sasuke said, breaking the silence that hazed between the two of them. Feeling a little irritated at the fact that he was wasting time on very _sober_ thoughts.

“‘S fine, we’re almost here” Naruto muttered, reassuring him. He lazily patted one of the arms that hung over his shoulders. Sasuke hummed in reply and tried to shake his head clear of any of those thoughts and focused on the warmth of Naruto’s touch. Naruto took him out to forget after all.

And he was doing more than enough to make him forget now anyways.

In growing peace, Sasuke felt an incredible urge to fall asleep, but the chill of the night combatting with Naruto’s _warmth_ was enough just to keep him conscious. Naruto was dangerously warm as the night was a cruel cold. Therefore, it was only natural for Sasuke to enjoy the feel of Naruto’s back pressed so closely against his chest. It was only natural that Sasuke would bask in Naruto’s scent because of the strong winds or something. It was all natural, _normal._ He’d just have to blame the alcohol for letting him completely melt in Naruto when morning came.

“Move in with me,” Naruto said into the dark night.

_“...What?”_

“Don’t tell me the alcohol has affected your hearing or sumtin’” Naruto mumbled meekly.  Suddenly Sasuke didn’t feel too much like falling asleep.

“Fuck your dad and Itachi anyways. I can tell you’re still hung up over it even after we drank and danced our asses off. And anyone who’s got you like that deserves a good ol’ ‘fuck you’” Naruto continued.

“You don’t understand.” Sasuke said, irritated that this was even something they were talking about at the moment. He’d very much rather be sleeping on Naruto’s back for the rest of the walk to Naruto’s place.

“I don’t.” Naruto said, but he smiled. “Do _you_?”.

Sasuke halted, they were _not_ in the proper conditions to be having this type of conversation. Hell, Sasuke was surprised that Naruto wasn’t a completely slurring mess of a drunk; Sasuke was only partially certain that he wasn’t one himself.

“No.” Sasuke finally admitted after a while of pondering.

“Then good, take a break year from school or some. Live with me, figure things out. Tell ol’ Daddy-O to suck it,” Naruto said and for once he was actually making complete sense. It was odd how something said on a whim like that could seem so simply brilliant.

It was all too possible. That future was definitely possible and definitely more appealing than suffering under his father’s rule for any longer. Naruto shone some light in the shadow he’s been living in, and Sasuke- Sasuke felt ecstatic.

He hoped Naruto couldn’t feel his heart beating hard against his back. He felt _happy_. He was excitedly hopeful and he was warm all for the first time in a long time. He’d have to blame the alcohol again, or he’d have to blame the rawness of the situation for the giddiness he was feeling now. That fleeting feeling of hope and warmth and something else entirely. It was a little too dangerous.

But at least Sasuke knew what his heart _was_ in now, and for now, that’s all he cared about.

“Shut up… just take us home,” he said as they passed under the first lit lamp post in a while.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued... Please leave a comment! I have no idea how I'm doing so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!  
> follow my tumblr? @spideybaby


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